King of Fen?
King of Fen?
(Written by Cobalt Greywalker, KJ, Rob Kelk, Ebony, ClassicDrogn, and Kokuten; posted July 15 to July 19, revised/reposted August 7, 8, and 19, 2007)
From: Submissions_Bot@solaria_project.fen
To: nttp:fen.solaria.submissions.cyber.discuss
Subject: Submission for Cyber Confederation by UNCLE
Date: April 14th 2013
*This is an automated posting from <Submissions_Bot@solaria_project.fen>. Do not reply*
The following entry for Cyber Confederation was just submitted. Please be aware.
*Entry Begins Here.*
The Cyber Confederation.
The Cyber Confederation is not just a faction, but in many ways an Inter-Factional organisation. Much like the Senshi, there is a central core of groups that form the Cyber faction. However if you fulfil one of the following conditions you can be considered a Cyber:
- Possess a non-critical artificial enhancement that provides a meaningful benefit over the non-enhanced functionality.
- Consist of between 40 to 95% artificial construction while still having a biological Ghost value.
- Spend 70% of your time dealing with cybernetics (construction or application)
The above is meant to rule out those with medical implants (those which replace damaged organs), AI's with bodies (whom they sponsor to the Metropolis Project), transferred consciousness beings (likewise), and general surgeons.
In essence, most Cybers are members of other factions or groups who have or work near exclusively with cybernetic enhancement. As such, it is fairly rare to find a Cyber who is not heavily into the politics of another faction. One notable function of this is that Cybers are frequently found in information services occupations (couriers, intelligence analysts, librarians, etc...), meaning that a dedicated Cyber can gather a great deal of information on a given subject. The network works the other way, allowing messages to pass more quickly than expected between points. Cybers are also found regularly in the Medical profession.
The Cybers are a notable contributor to the Metropolis Project, and unofficially work to the betterment of artificially based sentients.
As they are quick to point out, the Cybers are a TOTALLY different faction than the "Cyb0rz." The Cybers work with hardware as much as software, while the "Cyb0rz." are, to quote one Cyber:
"...Mostly a bunch of Script Kiddies playing around with 'waved computers thinking they're Bad Asses, but just making trouble for everyone. I pity the poor 'L33ts' who try to ride herd on them. They at least know what they're doing."
Despite this animosity, the Cybers get along with all recognised factions.
The two notable organisations within the Cybers are:
The Force Works Committee.
The Committee works much like the W3C committee back on Earth. The 20-ish strong panel represents the twenty or so groups that make up the Cybers faction (this includes civilian, non-governing representatives of all the major factions), and set the standards for the cybernetic community to adhere to with respect to construction and application of cybernetic technology.
They meet three times a year (one of which is about a month before a scheduled Con), with an appointed representative from the various groups in attendance.
The most notable thing about the Committee is that they have a representative from the Borg Collective as a Special Liaison. The Liaison's main job is to give the Committee the latest super-user access codes to the Collective's network. This, along with the similar access granted to the Federation Council, is meant to safeguard against the Collective going rogue, or the other groups coming to a deal and using the power of the Collective to a non-beneficial purpose.
The Sabre Corps
The Sabre Corps consist of two main groups; the Spartan Armoured Forces and the Panzer Kunst Gruppe. The Spartans are cybernetically enhanced and use powered armour of various types. The Spartans are best known for their Search and Rescue actions, mainly because they place themselves on all open stations, Space Vessels and large Space Ships they can get on. They are reluctant to field Space Marines due to the use of similar forces by Bosconians, but those they do field, the Grey Knights, are always accompanied by two general Spartans and a Senshi commander. Grey Knights are almost universally respected for their near-fanatical dedication to the protection of Humanity. (The evacuation of Crystal Osaka only succeeded due to the sacrifice of three Grey Knights, who tied themselves into the control systems of the orbital habitat to keep things stable enough for the evacuation to complete.)
The Panzer Gruppe is generally associated with the Supers, as they are those Cybers capable of full combat operations without powered suits. As a result, the Knstler of the Panzer Kunst Gruppe are well known as near-BNF warriors of other factions. Officially, there is no Knstler of above Krieger rank.
*Entry Ends Here.*
From: Dee (deechan@sovietairforce.fen)
To: nttp:fen.solaria.submissions.cyber.discuss
Subject: RE: Submission for Cyber Confederation by UNCLE
Date: April 14th 2013
Aww... I go to the trouble of putting together an armor-alloy Berserker body and training in martial arts, and I'm ineligible to be a Kunstler because I'm solid-state instead of greymatter? Fooey.
From: A.C. Peters (rock_doc@prometheus_forge.fen)
To: nttp:fen.solaria.submissions.cyber.discuss
Subject: RE: Submission for Cyber Confederation by UNCLE
Date: April 15th 2013
Sorry Dear, I didn't make the rules. These days I only qualify because I have been a Cyber since before The Accident. I've been slightly low on the cyber engineering for a while now. Of course, because of it I might be able to put together a wetware cyberbrain system...
From: Dee (deechan@sovietairforce.fen)
To: nttp:fen.solaria.submissions.cyber.discuss
Subject: RE: Submission for Cyber Confederation by UNCLE
Date: April 15th 2013
Yeah, sorry, fairly minor gripe all things considered. I mean, given how we of the chip-head variety work, it'd sorta throw rankings all out of whack. Oh well, may just have to run a KoF tournament or something one of these days...
From: A.C. Peters (rock_doc@prometheus_forge.fen)
To: nttp:fen.solaria.submissions.cyber.discuss
Subject: RE: Submission for Cyber Confederation by UNCLE
Date: April 15th 2013
Surely you mean the Zenith Of Things tournament? Might be fun after we've got rid of the Boskonians.
From: Dee (deechan@sovietairforce.fen)
To: nttp:fen.solaria.submissions.cyber.discuss
Subject: RE: Submission for Cyber Confederation by UNCLE
Date: April 15th 2013
Enh, ZOT's all well and good, but the far more liberal ruleset is kinda worrisome; I mean, do you have any idea what some of the mushtech firearms can *do*? Even for cybers and droids, it'd get excessively fatal pretty quick, and that's not even counting collateral damage. I figure something KoF-style, where the focus is beating people up is safer. Kinda. Still probably need different classes.
Actually, kinda had an idea for classing. I call it the '45 criteria'; basically asks what happens if a competitor were fired upon with a Colt 1911 aimed at their torso from 10 feet away. Class 3 approximates 'fall on the floor and begin bleeding to death', 2 is more of 'cringe at the big welt' and 1 is 'either basically not notice or dodge it'. Should keep too many close-to-normals from getting beaten to death.
... then again, a lot of the class 3/2 people might object to it being administered. %%;)%%
From: A.C. Peters (rock_doc@prometheus_forge.fen)
To: nttp:fen.solaria.submissions.cyber.discuss
Subject: RE: Submission for Cyber Confederation by UNCLE
Date: April 16th 2013
By the Lords of Kobal, so true. %%;)%% Anyway, if competitors get squeamish I know a Super who's a DBZ fan (and no, it's not The Jason. It's not his line. Anyway, he's got enough on his plate at the moment. And I'm not merely talking about his food intake these days, By The Force.) who's working on scouters. And I've got some sensors that should help determine who's thin-skinned.
Of course, if you want lots of people to show up we could make it a virtual tournament. There's an awful lot of plain Gamers in the factions. Include the KoF as part of the Fenspace Gamers Olympics? For Independence Sake, I wish they'd get around to organising that. But the Boskonians are a bit of a problem at the moment, so nobody's got the time to organise and compete.
From: Yoriko Nikaido (dispatcher@stellvia.lib)
To: nttp:fen.solaria.submissions.cyber.discuss, nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 16th 2013
Sorry I'm late, girls... What's this about a new game for the Fennish Olympics? Let me see... Hey, cool. Noah wants to hold the next Olympics at Stellvia next year - he said something about keeping everyone's morale up - and I think this would be just the right thing to add to it! I mean, we've gotta have some sports that don't need a spaceship. Am I right or am I right, girls?
<Disscussion moved to nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss>
From: Dee (deechan@sovietairforce.fen)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 16th 2013
Virtual tourney might be fun too; I know I could talk KJ into that one and you're right about participation. Separate event for people doing it out in solid space too, obviously... might not get as much participation, but it's always interesting to see what people have come up with, y'know? And yeah, non-ship based stuff is, if nothing else, a lot better for spectators.
Mou, you'd hardly tell I started off as a tech anymore...
From: j@bbi.org
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 16th 2013
Hey, I have a titanium kneecap and reconstructive surgery in my ankle. Can I join?
From: blackstone@bbi.org
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 16th 2013
Only if the X-men let you join because you can digest lactose.
Blackstone
Blue Blazer Irregular #14
From: j@bbi.org
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 16th 2013
Spoilsport.
From: A.C. Peters (rock_doc@prometheus_forge.fen)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 16th 2013
I may (note MAY) be able to get some Neural Induction helmets for the virtual KoF. My own work on that has been a bit haphazard (and I spent most of it on brain plugs) so I can't supply them. My contacts in Metropolis can build the Sim Construct fairly easily. Processing power... Well, I'm planning something along those lines for myself. I *made* those contacts cause I needed cycles for some modelling. I'll ask around while I work out my project loads and see what's available.
The tricky bit will be modelling contestants. THAT we'll have to outsource. Anyone got good contacts 'Daneside, specifically motion capture?
From: Yoriko Nikaido (dispatcher@stellvia.lib)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 16th 2013
Oh, come on, A.C.! We don't need to go 'Daneside to get any motion capture equipment! All we need to do is mention to each other somewhere near the Sol Bianca that we don't think the Professor can build the gear - I guarantee it'll turn up within a week. Sure, it'll have some funny quirks to it, but it'll work!
From: Yayoi Fujisawa (mamabear@stellvia.lib)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 16th 2013
That isn't very nice, manipulating the Professor like that, Yoriko.
From: Yoriko Nikaido (dispatcher@stellvia.lib)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 16th 2013
Yeah, you're right... But I still think it'd work.
From: Wave Convoy (autobot@gnarlycurl.mars)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 17th 2013
I might have a solution for modelling and motion capture - KITTEN and I can both calculate that kind of thing, just by turning up the resolution on our scanners while watching someone. It has to be in person, though, so perhaps it's best considered an interim solution.
From: A.C. Peters (rock_doc@prometheus_forge.fen)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 17th 2013
Thanks Convoy, that should do for the start. The main reason I figured 'Daneside would work best is cause they've already got all the equipment and Kinesetics models. Image models are a no-brainer, most medical scanners I know of can do it (and I know the twenty or so I've sold can do it).
One of my contacts 'Daneside got back to me with some times and prices. Times average out at a couple of weeks. Prices... Yoriko, I figure even Noah would wince at these for the numbers we'd need.
Fortunately, a friend of mine in the Supers is willing to lend us some capital to buy one. They'll take it and within about two weeks will have duplicated and enhanced it for sale at a better price. I've attached the proposals to an email.
From: Dee (deechan@sovietairforce.fen)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 17th 2013
Kinematics? Hell, I've got that... made a physiologically-accurate model of bones and muscle groups for baseline humans for a simulation project of mine. Should still work for most of us; I at least still bend like one.
Nevermind what the simulation project was... that'd spoil the surprise.
From: Yoriko Nikaido (dispatcher@stellvia.lib)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 17th 2013
Oh, with a line like that, you've got to tell us more!
Wave Convoy, could you start by modelling me? ... What? No, I'm not going to fight, but you're going to need a referee, right?
From: Dee (deechan@sovietairforce.fen)
To: Yoriko Nikaido (dispatcher@stellvia.lib)
Subject: Kinematics
Date: April 17th 2013
Just between us girls... it's an expansion of something KJ once thought of but put on the backburner due to lack of processing. Rather easier for me to do since I *am* processing, ne?
The working name is Omegajutsu. The basic idea is that there's a far-less-than-infinite number of ways for the human body to transmit force, and by looking at limb positioning you can figure out what the few most efficient at any given moment are based on a few criteria. The way joints bend, and how muscle groups attach to the skeleton determines this in the same way as range of motion. Similarly, you can categorize responses based on some criteria.
It's sorta a predictive scripting system; I can look at someone's stance (and distance, etc) and know the top few moves they're likely to pull from there because there's going to be X number that they couldn't efficiently do with their limbs in that position. Once they start to execute one of them, things narrow significantly; what exactly they're doing becomes more precisely defined, along with what it could transition into if it were a feint or whatever. From there, a bunch of decision branches come up; top few counters for any move depending on preset criteria (do I want to pummel this guy unconscious as quickly as possible, or just keep them from doing me injury?) and how they could possibly react to my counter, and what they'd do after that, and so on. Even correlates stances and actions to come up with a model of likely training and more exact physical capabilities, which allows the predictive capabilities to go a few seconds farther ahead of realtime than normal, and better weigh the decision branches.
Probably something that isn't really doable for biological-based brains; I'm informed that sifting through the datasets like that in conscious thought reliably is improbable at best, especially with the timing that some of them require. On the other hand, as long as the user's CPU and RAM specs are up to it, it doesn't really have any physical spec requirements. Overpowering or moving faster than one's opponent opens up more options, but even if they're significantly faster and stronger it still works.
Or should; I'm on a full combat chassis, so how'd I know? %%^_^;;%%
I don't know how your movement systems are coded; personally I suspect I'm one of the closest to hardtech, programming-wise but it'd be rude to ask to poke at others source code. I've no automatic reflexes or anything, but I can learn equivalents without muscle memory. So, how applicable this would be to you or, frankly, anyone but me is unknown as yet, but I can send you the source files if you want. I'd appreciate not spreading it around too far though; while the results are promising, it's still basically in late-alpha and I'm not sure how far I want to spread it out besides.
From: Wave Convoy (autobot@gnarlycurl.mars)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 17th 2013
Sure Yoriko, but I can't do it reliably through video-conferencing; you'll need to come to a large public place so I can use my main sensor array.
From: A.C. Peters (rock_doc@prometheus_forge.fen)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 18th 2013
Well, I've done some timelines and I think I can have a prototype ready in about a month. Sure, you'd only have Kasumi and Andy to work with but it should do for demos.
Convoy, can you forward me the format you'll be using?
From: Wave Convoy (autobot@gnarlycurl.mars)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 17th 2013
Done, A.C., it should hit your inbox momentarily. It's based on the Open Character Animation Library format with extensions to allow for non-human-standard joint configurations - it's actually what my own motion-control is based on, in fact, as well as most of the Gearhead mecha since I released it.
I added source for the conversion utility as well, that adapts OCAL standard jointed animations as well as possible with inverse kinematics from the extremities, and the reverse. I doubt there's any other hardware that would run my laser core binaries...
From: A.C. Peters (rock_doc@prometheus_forge.fen)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 18th 2013
Thanks Convoy, I'll pass it on to the sim construct and capture people.
...Damn I'm gonna have a busy month, by Kahless.
From: Wave Convoy (autobot@gnarlycurl.mars)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 17th 2013
You're welcome. What ring size are you planning on; if it's 24ft square or less, or 24ft wide by about 100ft or so with minor obstructions you can use the top of my Wave Amplifier trailer as one, rolling through the Outback or across Mars or Luna.
I doubt you'd find too many who'd want to go up against me hand to hand, so it's about the only way I can appear in the game - if you want to.
From: Wire_Geek (Wiregeek@hephaestus.fen)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 18th 2013
> I doubt you'd find too many who'd want to go up against me hand to hand,
> so it's about the only way I can appear in the game - if you want to.
Pardon my interruption, but if you're using a fighting engine, it's a simple matter to scale down the Wave Convoy model to near-human size, and keep the kinematics.
From: Wave Convoy (autobot@gnarlycurl.mars)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 18th 2013
Of course my game presence could be scaled to fit in, but I thought the idea was to determine the best personal combatant in space, so it would kind of defeat the point. Besides, I didn't say there wouldn't be anyone who wanted to take me on, and who knows, maybe there's even a way for them to win. I'd rather find out in a sim than in real combat if so.
From: Dee (deechan@sovietairforce.fen)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 18th 2013
Y'know, for software-based KoF tournament I really was picturing like... KoF 2002 or so. Y'know, with Iori, Vanessa, Vice, Mature, Leona, and other, lesser characters... not that the virtual fighting thing isn't getting to interesting trains of thought as well.
From: Yoriko Nikaido (dispatcher@stellvia.lib)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 18th 2013
> Sure Yoriko, but I can't do it reliably through video-conferencing; you'll
> need to come to a large public place so I can use my main sensor array.
Okay, I'm on my way! See you later, girls!
From: A.C. Peters (rock_doc@prometheus_forge.fen)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: RE: Fennish Olympics?
Date: April 18th 2013
OK, the sim construct I've got my contacts in Metropolis to code is exactly that, a sim construct like The Matrix (only without the Machines using People as power sources bit). Size limits are related to processing power, 'cause the construct will be photo-realistic to the user.
If my projections on the processing power of the processing nodes I'm constructing pan out, it should be able to render something like The Island well enough to wonder if you actually THERE.
Game design wise, I was planning to use a DOA multi-level arena design. So if anyone wants to go up against a full size Wave Convoy, they can.
From: A.C. Peters (rock_doc@prometheus_forge.fen)
To: nttp:fen.olympics.ideas.discuss
Subject: KoFen (Was: RE: Fennish Olympics?)
Date: May 10th 2013
<Applying Thread Defibrillator>
<ZAP!>
OK, I'm writing this after the first full up test.
Sorry Dears, this will take a while. Not because of problems, oh no, but because of too much success.
After a few false starts, the hardware turned out more than adequate for the needs of the sim construct. However, I was trying for King Of Fen, not Better Than Life. I'm going to have to take some time putting in safeties and filters, and black boxing the system.
Believe me, by Big Blue's ever-clean Underwear, it needs it. Fortunately I have a new assistant to help with this.
Good news/Bad News List:
Good news: We've managed to convert King of Fighters to the system and you can play as any of the characters in the series. We've also converted Halo, Final Fantasy XIII, and (due to my assistant's sense of humour) The Matrix: Path of Neo.
Bad news: You want any more games converted, you're going to have to pay. This isn't an easy process. It's also highly specialised, and I'm not planning on releasing the tools.
Good news: We've made a lot of progress on using people's residual self image for basing their capabilities on. This will make things interesting when people run the KoFen programs.
Bad news: This requires extensive pre-processing. I'm juggling some ideas, but it looks like I'll have to make this a KoFen registration process. I'm still thinking on this however.
Good news: The system can safely handle about 12 users per server unit. This is in individual mode.
Bad news: The hardware will be too expensive for individual ownership. Plus I haven't sorted all the problems for networking the units, and for safeties sake I am having to develop user booths for the full up system that can monitor the user's vitals. This both pushes up price and space needed. And give the capabilities of this I don't think this is overkill. My contacts who developed the sim construct did what could be considered TOO good a job.
Once I have a show-able prototype I'll have to talk to Wave Convoy about picking up the models he's scanned and loading them in. Hopefully this bit won't take too long.
More details when things stabilise.
